Geocaching Diary

December 27, 2006

I've just passed 170 finds, and was thinking back on some of the really special parks and really special caches that I've found. They're all starting to merge together in my mind. What will it be like when I log 300, 500, 1000 or more?

Where was that really neat park, with the streamside benches?

Where was that great picnic area on a manmade island?

Do any of you keep a Geocaching Diary for your personal use, separate from the logs under your profile?

If so, what do you do with it? Do you share it with others or is it something you keep personal?

1.1k · December 28, 2006

nope. just the online logs.

there's not too many memorable caches in this area anyway unfortunately.

December 28, 2006

I do keep a log book, just for the fact I can write down what we took & left in a cache and also any little 'neat' things about the area, or about the cache it's self: container, how hidden, etc... just a spiral bound 5x7 size lof book, and in fact i have placed the GPS on top of the log book while looking for a cache and i think it's not as obvious as carrying around a GPS, still looks weird walking around in the woods with a notebook though!

December 28, 2006

Kinda...I have a blog that I write about my geocaching. I like it better than a diary in that I can post photos to it and share with anyone who has internet access.

December 28, 2006

I was listening to the PodCacher Podcast the other day and they said that it was common practice apparently in Europe ( if I remember right, someone correct me if not.) to leave a First To Find certificate in every new Cache. I thought that was an excelent idea and it would look wicked in a Journal to have some pictures of the area and the cache and a FTF certificate if you earned it in a journal to spark the memories later.

http://www.podcacher.com/

GeoGargoyle

Edited December 28, 2006 by GeoGargoyle

7.3k · December 28, 2006

I mainly use my online logs. I tried to keep some sort of a logbook seperately, but after a hundred caches or so that got too hard. But I love my online logs, over the years they have helped me tremendously, remembering trips and what I have done in the past. I'm not sure what I would have done without them in some cases. It's truly been a journal for me.

You can also use a bookmark list for especially memorable caches, like I do and some others do. You can write in the note section why they were memorable, and even have links in the notes to the log or to pictures. Then you can share the bookmark with others. Here's mine, although it's not been updated lately, unfortunately. Hmmmm...maybe I'll get on that.

3.5k · December 28, 2006

Ditto what others have said. I use my online logs and bookmark lists as a record of my caching activity. Pretty much everything gets recorded.

Bret

7.3k · December 28, 2006

Up to about 1000 I could remember every cache. No longer. Heck, I can't even remember my own caches (names of - and seeing logs on some of mine I'll go, Huh? where's that?)(if I did a better naming job: Big Oak, Big Oak Too, Ammo Oak...doh....)

Oops, topic. The online logs are my journal. Thank goodness. I post a lot of pictures too, so my gallery helps.

20.7k · December 28, 2006

I use ABXGuy's awesome little palm application, Cache Log Book, for this. It can be found here. Not only do I end up with a personal record of all my 'adventures', it makes it easy to remember individual cache info to aid in logging online.

Edited December 28, 2006 by sbell111

7.2k · December 28, 2006

We use a logbook. Not so much a diary as a terse journal with date, cache name, trades, private thoughts, puzzle solutions, etc.

For us, a log is important as not everything about the cache is to be included in the online log for various reasons.

1.5k · December 28, 2006

Like many others, my favorite caches get put on my "Favorite Caches" bookmark list. I also keep a couple seperate, private bookmark list for cache notes. I include details in the private lists that would spoil the caches if others read them, like how a cache was hidden or how to get into a tricky area to get to a certain spot. I don't keep notes for many caches, just those that are in really cool spots I might want to re-visit later, or were particularly tough to get to. I also have a bookmark list for puzzle caches in progress that I haven't completely solved or found yet. I post most of my pictures on the actual cache pages too, so others can share them. I also download my "All Caches Found" pocket query on a regular basis and keep a seperate database in GSAK for everything I've found. Makes it easy to go back and look up caches I've found a long time ago if I need to.

As far as a "pen and paper" journal, nope, everything is online.

December 28, 2006

i just print out the pages and put it in a spiral note book thinga ma bobber.

December 28, 2006

I have 2 boys 6 and 3 that go with me. I usually do all the planning while they eat breakfast. It's much easier for me to write all the info down in a log book that goes in my back pack. I have the clue written down too in case we need it. It's so much easier than taking the printed cache pages. And I can log all the info i need for each cache. TB #'s in case i decide to drop one i just picked up. Done that before and didn't have the number so couldn't log the grab and drop.

Scott

18.9k · December 28, 2006

I have a fading notebook I have carried for notes but I wouldn't call it either a diary or Logbook. I mostly rely on pictures and my online logs for memories. It helps that 70% or so of our finds were done as a family.

December 28, 2006

I keep a blog on most of my caching, it's my signature line.

Some cachers have emailed me after I found their caches to say they took the time to read the whole thing from day one. That must have took much longer than me finding their cache

December 28, 2006

I mention things in my blog and also add gecoaching trips to an 'outdoor sports diary' on my website.. Simply because I had been keeping a diary of windsurf and surf sessions etc (as do many others on the website) and thought I would add geocaching to my dary entries as well... A few other users of the site have been introduced to geocaching because of the entries.

Al.

January 2, 2007

I usually have my moleskine handy but I don't always write anything about a particular cache in it

January 5, 2007

I keep a geocaching journal. Inside i write down the cahe information and after i find it i write down things about the find. After a while i started to draw pictures on the pages about the cache experiance.

January 5, 2007

I just started, but I instantly started a blog just for geocaching. I don't want to forget a single one. And it will be a handy place to put pictures as well, once I get my camera.

January 11, 2007

Not only do I keep a journal, I keep a scrapbook. I really gotta get a life! -BK

January 11, 2007

I have the pics of every cache we have found (all 15 of them or so) in the camera for getting prints of someday soon. With the idea of making a scrapbook of sorts. I have gotten a pic from all but one I think cause I left the camera in the car and it was a hike around a lake at the end of the day...I suppose we could go back and reinact..........nah. Anyway, I have plans to do something that the kids can look at the book and reminisce. And it can make use of the other tools of my other crafting obsession. Now I must collect some rubberstamps of the outdoors...can you hear the husband groaning about that one? HAHAHA!

3.8k · January 11, 2007

I use GSAK and add "loads" of photos to it and user notes etc . so when I click on a cache in the off line view I see the photos, log and notes.

January 11, 2007

We keep a nice bound journal with logs of all of our caches. Some of them are short and simple while others can be a page or more long. Once we fill the current journal, we are going to start a new moleskine or Write In The Rain one.

2k · January 11, 2007

I try ... really I do. However, my Blog is WAY out of date.

Here it is - maybe I'll actually start writing it again some day.

Adventures in Geocaching

5.3k · January 11, 2007

I don't keep a diary, since I try to include enough information in my online logs to recall the cache (if it's worth recalling), but I do keep a local database of my finds that includes information that the site doesn't provide.

It includes:

the actual coordinates of the final (for multis and puzzles),
a flag for if I was FTF (I don't like mentioning that in the logs, because it can come across as very obnoxious),
the time I found the cache (so I can preserve the exact order I found the caches),
the difficulty/terrain ratings that were in place when I found the cache (those frequently change, especially for puzzle caches), and
a short note about the cache if there is information I didn't want to put in the log.

I have found the DB to be very useful for me; with it I can calculate some stats that can't be determined from the information in the logs.

January 11, 2007

guess that if you remember almost single cache by the logs you've made that

a) you're not the kind of "TNLN, TFTC" cacher (I just can't, even for caches that I don't like)

you don't keep spoilers on your logs

IMHO, a private bookmark with the best caches and a few remarks about the special details about it just works

January 12, 2007

I usually have my moleskine handy but I don't always write anything about a particular cache in it

Ah, the great moleskine! I've kept a small one with waypoints, dates, and T/L records since the beginning (all 2 weeks so far of caching!). Pure chance I had it in the back on my first cache, and figured it'd be a good idea.

Also converted an outdated large calendar one to hold notepads. Pretty useful!

January 12, 2007

We sure do, in fact we try to keep it updated fairly regularly too: http://gc4dummies.blogspot.com/

SOkie's got a much more comprehensive blog than ours, but we try!

20.7k · January 12, 2007

I use ABXGuy's awesome little palm application, Cache Log Book, for this. It can be found here. Not only do I end up with a personal record of all my 'adventures', it makes it easy to remember individual cache info to aid in logging online.

Here's a screenshot:

2.9k · January 12, 2007

We try to write detailed logs that sum up the cache, upload photos and then print out the log page which goes into our large folder.

If we want to go through it it makes it easy to remember the cache the date where we were what we did.

It has ended up like a large photo album but with good descriptions of the location rather than kids on the beach in xx location.

When we come back from holidays the rest of the family like to sit down and read and look at the photos.

January 12, 2007

Do any of you keep a Geocaching Diary for your personal use, separate from the logs under your profile?

I don't keep a diary, per se. The online logs are more than adequate for tracking purposes, and memorable caches, well, I'll remember those

However, I do keep a list of cachers I've met on the trail, which cache and what day I met them. Mostly I do this because I'm awful about remembering names, and I find the sense of community in my local geocaching area to be one aspect of the activity that I enjoy (rather to my surprise - I'm not typically social). So I keep track of who I meet, and what they're up to with caching ("Oh, she placed her first cache - I'm definitely going to have to go find it!").

Edited January 12, 2007 by VeryLost

January 12, 2007

I have a blog so I can post pictures. I need to put a couple of recent things on there, but I can't stay out of these crazy forums long enough!

Geocaching with Queen Ladybug and family!

January 12, 2007

I've just passed 170 finds, and was thinking back on some of the really special parks and really special caches that I've found. They're all starting to merge together in my mind. What will it be like when I log 300, 500, 1000 or more?

Where was that really neat park, with the streamside benches?

Where was that great picnic area on a manmade island?

Do any of you keep a Geocaching Diary for your personal use, separate from the logs under your profile?

If so, what do you do with it? Do you share it with others or is it something you keep personal?

Yes, I keep a journal of my finds.

I started doing it because I thought that's what was expected. I started doing letterboxing and geocaching at the same time. In LBing, a journal is a MUST to save the rubber stamp impressions you get of letterboxes and hitchhickers. So I also got one of the large official geocaching log books for that purpose. I know the name, date, coords (including any coords for multis), TB/coins picked up or dropped off, name of park, any interesting stuff. I find that my logs on-line are a bit more discriptive then my journal. If the cache is in a park with a map/brochure, I pick that up. When I retired by first journal, I added in all the brochures I had picked up, the nametags from geocaching events inside, etc, and set aside.

It can be fun to flip thru them off-line and recall some of the finds. I don't share it with others, but I don't view it as necessarily private, just something I figure others don't care about.

January 12, 2007

I have a blog so I can post pictures. I need to put a couple of recent things on there, but I can't stay out of these crazy forums long enough!

Geocaching with Queen Ladybug and family!

Queen, would you mind if we linked to your blog in ours? You seem to keep it fairly active, which we love!

January 12, 2007

If you leave good logs you don't need a seperate diary. There's a link on your "my" page that will show you all of the logs you've left.

January 31, 2007

I use this free program "i-cache" which is a geocaching database. Pretty cool!

http://www.bigskycachers.com/

January 31, 2007

nope. only the logs kept on GC.com

January 31, 2007

Being the organized-type, I have kept a logbook since my first cache found.

Each entry is rather brief, with cache name, GC number, lat/long coords Diff/Terr rating and date found.

As the entries are chronological, I find it easy to look up a cache if I know when I found it (usually when I'm researching a caching holiday I will check previous caching holidays in the same area). Sometimes it's handy to find a set of coords to do a search on gc rather than trying GoogleEarth (sometimes :-)

I also sign my logs of found caches with something like "Find#xxx". I have also numbered my found caches in found order!

January 31, 2007

I've just passed 170 finds, and was thinking back on some of the really special parks and really special caches that I've found. They're all starting to merge together in my mind. What will it be like when I log 300, 500, 1000 or more?

Where was that really neat park, with the streamside benches?

Where was that great picnic area on a manmade island?

Do any of you keep a Geocaching Diary for your personal use, separate from the logs under your profile?

If so, what do you do with it? Do you share it with others or is it something you keep personal?

I do keep a journal and I love going through it. Unfortunately my first one was left behind and someone not so friendly kept it and notified me of it. weird huh.

Some of my pages had pictures that were taken at the cache site, other pages had hand drawings of the place, or something that I liked about that place. I also wrote down who went with me, who found it, and the name of the cache, and what we thought about the place, if the cache was difficult, or easy.

I keep it for myself in general, but my family likes to go through it, and it sparked their interest to geocaching.

2.8k · January 31, 2007

We keep a blog. There are some things that I would not want to put in my log (spoilers, I guess, although I'm usually pretty careful not to include those in the blog, too), so I put it in the blog. Sometimes, I go into more detail about the hide or silly stuff leading up to us heading out. When we hit several caches on one day, I kind-of tie them all together in my entry. I was pretty good about keeping it updated, but got lazy. Now that it's winter, I'm back to typing into it. I suppose most of what I enter into the blog I could put in the log, but...it has been something that I've enjoyed doing.

January 31, 2007

We use a hardcover ledger book for personal diary. Post basic information to it at cache or in vehicle such as date, waypoint, name of cache, personal cache number, trade items, unique things about cache, etc. We find this makes it very easy to log our caches on-line and leaves us with a running diary of our caching experience. It does, however, make for one more thing to carry in the pack along with GPSr, palm, camera, etc. We find it also makes it easier to share our caching experiences when we wish to do so.

January 31, 2007

I used to keep a list in a small notebook but I got lazy and stopped doing it. However considering it’s now winter I might be up for a do over of the list.

I have decided to give myself a second personal TB that I will use as a list of my favorite caches and anything else that I run across that catches my interest. So quite likely I will end up with notes and photos of things that may not be completely geocaching related, for instance in a nearby town there is a lamp post that is painted UT orange. Also there is a huge Cross on a small hilltop next to a water tower that I would like to get a picture of and the coordinates to and put a note about it on the TB’s page.

Just for the record, I haven’t started placing notes and pictures on the TB page just yet, I’ve had too much stuff to do lately but I hope to get started soon.

spelling edit

Edited January 31, 2007 by wildhawk

3.2k · January 31, 2007

I've just passed 170 finds, and was thinking back on some of the really special parks and really special caches that I've found. They're all starting to merge together in my mind. What will it be like when I log 300, 500, 1000 or more?

Where was that really neat park, with the streamside benches?

Where was that great picnic area on a manmade island?

Do any of you keep a Geocaching Diary for your personal use, separate from the logs under your profile?

If so, what do you do with it? Do you share it with others or is it something you keep personal?

My cache logs are all saved in a file by date. So I guess that qualifies as a diary.

January 31, 2007

We don't keep a log/diary except for the online ones at GC.com. Since we often go out caching as a family, during road trips, we will reminisce about ones that we have found. I've found it's a good way to get the kids to think critically. What's your favorite hide? Placement? Location? Hint? etc.

January 31, 2007

We have always carried a small spiral notebook in our day pack to record our finds. I need the notes we make to be able to write a reasonably interesting log on the website. I have ALWAYS felt that if someone is kind enough to bother to hide a cache that I go find, I owe them a funny or interesting log. At the very least a cache owner should get more than TNLNSL. I hate those logs as much as I disdain the lazy cachers who cut and paste the same lame inane sentence on EVERY cache they find for the day. Besides when we started caching back in the dark ages, there was actually interesting swag in the cache and we frequently traded. I needed the notebook to help me remember what we traded for what. People actually STATED what they traded in their logs. Not so much these days... We have two caches which we launched with really nice swag this fall but after 15 or so finds we dropped by to check and they have nothing but broken toys now. No one has ever said that they traded anything! I have two unactivated geocoins (really pretty ones) that are going to be placed in the caches when we restock them this weekend. I certainly hope the finder does me the curtsy of stating in the log that he/she took it and for what it was traded!!! Ummmmmm did I go too far off topic? :cool:

February 1, 2007

we keep a disposable camera in our backpack & the really kewl cache spots or milestones we take pics of. there is a photo album started & we have labeled each with name, date, state. fun to look back over.

August 16, 2007

I make watercolor sketches of the caches I really enjoy and put them up on

a blog for others to enjoy as well. I add a few notes along side them about my

experience.

my geocaching watercolor sketch blog

I will also upload the drawing to the cache page in the gallery.

--GW

August 16, 2007

Not only do I keep a journal, I keep a scrapbook. I really gotta get a life! -BK

Thank goodness! I was about to think I was the only one scrapbooking my geocaching! :mad:

I keep a hard bound book/scrapbook of all our families finds and include info about the day, photos, stories, etc. It's a nice way for me to keep track of where we've been & done so we won't forget the fun little details.

August 16, 2007

I usually have my moleskine handy but I don't always write anything about a particular cache in it

Ah, the great moleskine! I've kept a small one with waypoints, dates, and T/L records since the beginning (all 2 weeks so far of caching!).

I also keep my notes in a moleskin notebook. I keep the cache name, coords, waypoint ID, etc. They are listed by find number. At the end of each month I tally stats such as total, most in day, cache type, or anything else I think of (maybe an FTF!). I find that it's much more personal to jot down notes about the experience or a particular cache. Sometimes you don't want to share everything in the on line log.

Besides, after staring at computers, pda's, gpsr's to enter everything it's just nice to step away.

Edited August 16, 2007 by imfirstdue

August 17, 2007

I want to get into scrapbooking but never seem to have space as I have so many other things going on at any one time!

How ever when I started I heard about letterboxing at the same time and wanted a log book for that. So now each find gets a double page. I writed down cache name, coordinates of cache (final not start point), GC number, who hid it, and date we found it. Each page is numbered and I number my online logs on the cache pages as well. Then that leaves me space for either two photos if the cache is worth it or only one and a short note about what ever was important to me when finding the cache.

One day I'll get around to doing a proper album but that will less focused on geocaching and more on the fact it was a family outing.

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